Road to the Derby: Infinite Resolve further strengthens Newnham’s squad in Classic Series

In the ninth instalment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Road to the Derby series, we look at Mark Newnham’s strong 2025/26 Four-Year-Old Classic Series hand with a focus on HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) runner-up Infinite Resolve.

With less than two weeks until the second leg of the Classic Series – the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on 1 March – and with the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March on the horizon, Infinite Resolve stepped out of the shadows of some of his more-fancied rivals with an eye-catching Hong Kong Classic Mile performance.

In his first run at 1600m in Hong Kong, 19/1 chance Infinite Resolve travelled smack bang in midfield in a strongly run race before slicing through traffic in the home straight to beat all but the barnstorming Little Paradise.

“He’s a good-class horse. There was always a doubt about him at 1600m but what he did have going for him going into it was a positive run at his start before where he relaxed really well and hit the line,” said Newnham of Infinite Resolve, who was purchased by the Absolute Return Syndicate after winning one of six starts and racing at Group 2 level in Australia.

“I still had some doubts whether he would [run a mile], but horses who relax well and conserve energy, you can generally stretch them out in distance, especially against their own age group.

“Once he drew a good barrier and was able to switch off, he was always going to have a good turn of foot.”

Infinite Resolve is by Snitzel, who also sired 2016 Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup winner Sun Jewellery and last year’s Derby winner Cap Ferrat.

“I was pleased that he ran out the mile strongly. Obviously the 1800m is another step up but his manner is going to take him a long way,” Newnham said.

While Infinite Resolve was Newnham’s best Hong Kong Classic Mile finisher, he still considers the exciting Invincible Ibis his top Four-Year-Old Classic Series seed after his first-leg sixth from barrier 11.

“The run he had didn’t help him. Certainly no jockey error, he was just back and wide and trying to make a long run. The winner was coiled up like a spring and had to sprint 200m, whereas I had to make a 700m run,” he said.

“I thought he still ran with a lot of merit and I think the 1800m will be fine for him, he probably just needs to have a more economical run. It will be a different race entirely.”

Newnham also had Crimson Flash (11th) and Winfield (13th) in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, with the former to revert to sprinting trips and the trainer to ponder whether to progress to the Hong Kong Classic Cup with the latter after he ran last over 1650m on the dirt on the weekend.

Newnham also saddled up Lucky Sam Gor and Legend Winner in the weekend’s Class 3 1600m contest restriced to four-year-olds, with Lucky Sam Gor an unlucky fourth and Legend Winner 12th behind fast-finishing winner Stormy Grove.

He also has an eye on the Derby with the 74-rated Aerodynamics, who will look to follow in the footsteps of the 2024 winner of Hong Kong’s most prestigious race.

“Aerodynamics was very unlucky the other day, he should have been in the finish but just got chopped out,” Newnham said.

“He’s going to run in the (Class 3) 2000m on the same day as the Classic Cup. I think it’s the same race Massive Sovereign won, so that’s the theory behind going there – for him to show some form at 2000m and get himself a berth in the Derby.”

Looking forward, Regal Gem, Super Express and Seraph Gabriel are among the notable four-year-olds running this week, with all three lining up at Sha Tin on Thursday.